How Do I Get a Divorce in Skyrim? The Brutal Truth About Marriage in Tamriel

So, you’ve tied the knot. You wore the Amulet of Mara, stood before Maramal in the Riften Temple, and said "I do" to a sellsword or a shopkeeper because you wanted that sweet Homecooked Meal and a bit of extra gold. But now? Now Lydia is blocking every doorway in Breezehome, or maybe your spouse is just perpetually stuck in a loop of saying the same three lines of dialogue. You’re over it. You want out. You’re probably sitting there staring at the screen asking, how do i get a divorce in skyrim, only to realize the game doesn't exactly provide a "Family Court" DLC.

It’s frustrating.

Skyrim is a land of infinite freedom. You can slay dragons, become a vampire lord, and accidentally launch a giant into orbit with a well-placed shout. Yet, when it comes to the legalities of a domestic split, Bethesda decided to be surprisingly traditional—or perhaps just lazy. Once you put that ring on, the game considers it a "till death do us part" scenario. Literally.

The Harsh Reality of Skyrim’s Marriage System

Here is the thing about marriage in the Elder Scrolls V: it was designed as a binary state. You are either single or you are married. There is no built-in "Divorce" button in the dialogue menu. If you go back to Maramal in Riften hoping for a separation agreement, he’ll just offer to sell you another amulet or talk about the blessings of Mara. He doesn't care about your irreconcilable differences.

Actually, the game’s code is pretty rigid here. Once the marriage script executes, several variables are set in your character's save file that link you to that specific NPC. Breaking that link requires either extreme violence or some technical wizardry. For the average player on a console like a PlayStation or Xbox, the options are... well, they’re grim.

How to Get a Divorce in Skyrim Without Using Mods

If you are playing the vanilla game—meaning no mods and no access to the command console—the answer to how do i get a divorce in skyrim is simple but dark: widowhood.

Bethesda didn't program a way to say "I want a divorce," but they did program the ability for NPCs to die. If your spouse dies, the marriage bond is technically severed. However, there is a massive catch that most players don't realize until it's too late. Even if your spouse dies, the game doesn't automatically let you marry someone else. In the vanilla version of the game, marriage is a one-time deal.

💡 You might also like: Playing A Link to the Past Switch: Why It Still Hits Different Today

If Lydia dies, you aren't just single; you're a widower who is permanently flagged as "married" in the eyes of the matchmaking system. You won't be able to put the Amulet of Mara back on and find a new partner. You'll just be alone in a big house with a lot of cheese wheels.

There are some rare instances where glitches might reset this, but honestly? Relying on a Skyrim glitch to fix your love life is a bold move.

The "Deadly" Method

If you truly cannot stand the sight of your spouse, you can take them out into the wilderness. A "tragic accident" involving a Draugr Overlord or a very high cliff usually does the trick. Once they are gone, you are free of their company, but you’re still stuck with the "married" flag on your soul. It's a hollow victory. You get the house, but you lose the chance to ever find "love" again in that playthrough.

Using Console Commands to Reset Your Life

Now, if you are playing on PC, you have the powers of a god. You can rewrite the laws of physics and, more importantly, the laws of the Riften Temple. This is the only way to "truly" divorce and remarry in the base game.

To do this, you need to stand in front of your spouse, open the console (usually the ~ key), and click on them to get their RefID. Then, you have to run a specific sequence of commands. It isn't just one line; you have to basically lobotomize the game's memory of your relationship.

First, you’ll want to type removefac 00051596. This removes the NPC from the "PotentialMarriageFaction." Then, you use resetquest 00074793. This resets the "Relationship Marriage" quest. Finally, you have to use setstage 00074793 10. This puts the marriage quest back to its starting state.

📖 Related: Plants vs Zombies Xbox One: Why Garden Warfare Still Slaps Years Later

It’s messy. Sometimes it breaks the NPC's AI. Sometimes they’ll just stand in your kitchen staring at a wall for the rest of eternity. But it works if you want to marry someone else. Just make sure you drop your old wedding ring and wait 24 hours in-game before trying to woo a new candidate.

The Best Way: Divorce Mods

Let's be real. If you’re asking how do i get a divorce in skyrim, you probably just want a clean break without murdering anyone or typing strings of code like a 1990s hacker. This is where the modding community saves the day.

Mods like "Simple Divorce" or "Marriage Mod - To Have and To Hold" add actual mechanics for ending a relationship.

Some of these mods allow you to go to Maramal and pay a fee to have the marriage annulled. Others add a "We need to talk" dialogue option that lets you break up gracefully. It's much more immersive than the alternative. If you are on PC or Xbox, you can find these on the Nexus or the Bethesda Mod menu. If you are on PS4 or PS5, your options are more limited because of Sony's restrictions on external scripts, but there are still some basic "Marriage Reset" mods available if you dig deep enough.

Why People Even Want a Divorce

You might think, "Why bother?" The benefits of marriage in Skyrim are pretty static. You get:

• The Homecooked Meal: One meal a day that boosts health, stamina, and magicka regeneration.
• Lover’s Comfort: A 15% bonus to learning skills for 8 hours after sleeping near your spouse.
• The Shop Revenue: Your spouse miraculously opens a shop and gives you 100 gold a day.

The problem is that the "Lover’s Comfort" bonus doesn't stack with the "Well Rested" bonus or the "Rested" bonus. Worse, if you are a Werewolf, you can’t get the bonus at all because your "beast blood keeps you from restful sleep." So, if you decide to join the Companions and go full wolf, your marriage becomes significantly less useful overnight.

👉 See also: Why Pokemon Red and Blue Still Matter Decades Later

Then there’s the personality clash. Some spouses, like Mjoll the Lioness, bring their "friends" along. If you marry Mjoll, Aerin will follow her everywhere. He’ll literally move into your house. You’ll be trying to organize your enchanted daggers and there’s Aerin, just hanging out in your bedroom. It’s awkward. It’s reason enough to want a divorce.

Actionable Steps for a Fresh Start

If you are currently stuck in a marriage you hate, here is your path forward based on your platform:

For PC Players:
Don't bother with murder. Use the console. It's the only way to reset the flag so you can remarry.

1. Drop your wedding ring on the floor.
2. Open the console and click your spouse.
3. Type setstage 74793 0 or use the resetquest method mentioned earlier.
4. Use setpvg bIsMarried 0.
5. Buy a new Amulet of Mara and start over.

For Console Players (Vanilla):
You have to accept your fate or load an old save. If you haven't progressed too far, jumping back to a save before the wedding is the only way to stay "eligible" for other NPCs. If you kill your spouse, remember that the game will likely still consider you married for the purposes of the "Relationship Marriage" quest, meaning no second wedding for you.

For Mod-Enabled Players:
Search your platform's mod library for "Marriage Reset" or "Divorce." Install it, follow the in-game prompts (usually talking to a priest or using a special book), and handle your business like a civilized Dragonborn.

Skyrim's marriage system is a relic of 2011 game design. It’s a "one and done" mechanic that doesn't account for the player's changing tastes or the sheer annoyance of an NPC who won't stop saying "Leave if you must, but come back to me safely." If you’re going to get married again, choose wisely. Pick someone who stays out of the way or someone who can actually hold their own in a dungeon crawl. And maybe, just maybe, don't marry anyone who comes with a permanent third-wheel roommate.

Next Steps for Your Playthrough:
Check your current save file to see if you have an older "Auto-Save" or "Quick-Save" from before your wedding ceremony. If you are on PC, back up your save file before attempting any console commands, as messing with quest stages can occasionally break the NPC's daily routine or prevent them from interacting with you entirely. If you decide to go the modding route, ensure the mod is placed at the bottom of your load order to prevent other world-altering mods from overwriting the new dialogue options.